


Separatist Power Couple

by TylrLoki



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: AU where Anakin and Padmé think sometimes, Anakin Skywalker Leaves the Jedi Order, Angst, Battle Droids, Blanket Permission, Confederacy of Independent Systems, F/M, Fake Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This On My Phone, Kinda, Lightsaber Battles (Star Wars), Mace Windu Appreciation Day, Mace Windu needs a hug, Minor Character Death, No Beta We Die Like Clones, No Jedi council bashing, No Mace Windu bashing, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Possibly OOC, Separatist AU, Separatist Anakin, Space Battles, Speculation, Updates when it does, Why are there no Separatist tags, changing sides
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25216501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TylrLoki/pseuds/TylrLoki
Summary: What if, during the height of the Clone Wars, Anakin and Padmé decided to leave the Republic and join the Separatists?
Relationships: C3PO/R2D2 (Implied), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 33
Kudos: 83





	1. Anakin Has One (1) Idea

**Author's Note:**

> This idea hit me when rewatching S7E9 of The Clone Wars, while Anakin was committing the war crime of fake surrender, and it got me thinking, what if he surrendered for real, and even better, what if he became a seppie? Honestly I think he and Padmé would make excellent Separatists, and given that I could not find a single other Separatist Anakin AU on fanfiction.net, here, or even the general internet, I might be the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, this chapter is slated for editing. Please forgive any typos <3

Anakin didn’t know what started it, but his faith in the Jedi Order and the Republic wasn’t what it used to be. The Republic had become undeniably corrupt, anyone with eyes could see that, and the Jedi Order was more concerned with kissing the Chancellor’s ass and treating their members like children than actually helping people. 

Once, he watched a Separatist broadcast, justifying it to Obi-Wan with, ‘ _ You have to know who you’re fighting, right?’ _ , and was surprised to find the speaker echoing what he had been privately thinking for months. It even included a testimony from a defected GAR officer, who called the movement ‘What the Republic was always meant to be.’

Late that night, while still thinking about the broadcast, an idea struck him like lightning. He hurried to set up his private comm, and Padmé answered in her nightgown, rubbing her eye. She asked, “Anakin, is everything alright? It’s late here.”

“It’s better than alright, I just had an idea that will solve almost all of our problems.’

Looking more alert, she replied, “I’m listening.”

“The Separatists are our chance. If we left and joined them, we wouldn’t have to worry about the Jedi Order anymore, and you could serve in their Sentate. They accept Jedi defectors, a few joined at the beginning of the war. It could work.”

She hesitated a moment, mulling it over. “I would have to speak with the Queen first, but you’re right. This could work.”

They continued working over details into the early hours of the morning, and by the time the lights came back on on the Resolute, they had a plan.

  
  


Padme convicted the Queen to meet with her on Naboo as soon as she was avalable, which ended up being two days after the fateful comm. She wanted to meet in person on the strong chance her comms were bugged. Padme knew that if the plan leaked, she would be tried, and possibly executed, for treason.

When she arrived on Naboo, she knew that it very well could be her last time. If the queen didn’t agree with her plan, she’d have to make a quick exit, and say goodbye to Naboo for a very long time. She drank in Theed as she walked, trying to memorize every detail of the city and of the palace. 

In the throne room, Queen Neeyutnee waited for her, surrounded only by her handmaids, as requested. As soon as she sat, the queen prompted, “You wanted to see me?” 

“Yes, m’lady, I’ve been having some concerns, about the Republic, of late, and wanted to share them.”

“Yes?”

“Well, the Republic doesn’t seem to listen much, do they? Nearly every bill I’ve introduced in the last year have gone nowhere, despite public support, Nute Gunray never answered for the invasion, and we received almost no Republic help during then either.” 

She nodded along, “I agree, the Republic can be, slow to act, but I’m not sure what could be done about it.”

Padme had practiced this part what felt like thousands of times, but it still made her more nervous than any speech, “The Confederacy is always accepting new systems. I’ve listened to Count Dooku’s addresses, and what he says, it makes sense. The Republic only cares about Core worlds, Mid-Rim systems like us are an afterthought at best. The Confederacy is based in the Outer Rim, and they are open to change.”

The queen didn’t instantly reject it, which was better than expected. “But Chancellor Palpatine has been our greatest supporter, it would ruin his career.” 

“The Chancellor is very nearly a dictator, I doubt he could be voted out, even if his homeworld left the Republic.”

Neeyutnee ventured, “If, we were to leave, how would it be done?”

Taking it as agreement, Padme said, “Tell the Advisory Council, I will handle the Senate.”

Anakin was still off in the Outer Rim by order of the Jedi Council, and if everything went well, was probably halfway to Raxus by now. They had agreed not to contact each other until the last one reached the CIS capital, to prevent either being tracked. Padme had a ship waiting for her at the top level docks, with R2, 3PO and everything she wanted to keep out of her senatorial apartment already loaded. She walked with Bail to the Senate building, acting like everything was completely normal. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she felt nearly sick with nerves.

In the meeting, she bided her time, waiting for the Separatists to come up in conversation. Padme knew the clip would be played near countless times, and if she was going to be a Separatist senator, she needed to give them something good. 

Her chance came when On Free Tal made a less than subtle dig at the Trade Federation, making the entire Senate dissolve into a squabbling mess in record time. Padme piloted the module to the senate floor, and was recognized. She began, “The issue is not if the Trade Federation has Separatist ties, that should be common knowledge by now, it is that they are right to. The Separatist leaders have been saying that the Republic is a lost cause for years, and my time in the Senate has thoroughly proved this to me. The issue is that we, as allies of democracy, should  _ all  _ be Separatists. The Republic is too choked by corruption, bureaucracy and tradition to be saved,” she had to shout her last few lines over the rising chaos, “Twenty thousand years is long enough! It is past time for change, the CIS is the way of the future!”

She returned her module to it's normal spot, largely unnoticed in the chaos. Every senator had something to say about her speech, and as much as she wanted to hear them squabble, she couldn't risk sticking around to listen. Padmé drew the hood to her cloak up as she walked out of the Senate building for the last time, not even considering looking back. 

  
  
  
  


After a short time, Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan arrived on Feluica, and command began to send down troops. They set up camp in a forested area, to hide them from the Separatists, while scouts hunted for the Seppie base. He helped set up tents, then waited with the rest of the troops for the scouts to return. 

Just as the sun had gone down, the clone scouts returned, bearing good news. The Separatist base was barely five klicks away, and exposed enough that with air support, they could take the base with just the 212th and 501st. 

Late that night, long after everyone else had gone to sleep, Anakin was up. He didn’t need to be, everything was prepared for the next day, but the hammering stress wouldn’t let him sleep. Out of every scheme he had ever pulled, every time he took a death-defying risk, that all paled in comparison to this. 

His worry must have bled through his bond with Obi-Wan, waking his old master. He asked quietly, voice thick with sleep, “Anakin, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing master,” He replied, scrambling for an excuse, “Just a dream. Go back to sleep.” 

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be fine.” 

Anakin really needed to hear that, even though Obi-Wan didn’t really know it. “Thanks master.” 

The day of the battle arrived, and although he put on his usual fearless face, he couldn’t remember a time when he had been more nervous. He marched out with the rest of the 501st, deflecting droid bolts but the thousands and waiting for his opening.

It came in the form of a missing clone. After they split up into three groups to avoid a particularly large amount of droids, no one could find the ARC trooper Fives. Taking notice of the opportunity, he claimed to have seen him and went to search for him alone. 

As soon as he was certain he wasn’t followed, he set his wrist and Jedi communicators on the ground and smashed them both. The last thing he needed was being tracked. He hid in the shadows, up in the trees, and waited for the next step.

Anakin didn't have long to wait, a pair of B-1 battle droids came along only a few minutes, likely scouts. He dropped down in front of them, and they both recoiled in surprise. They tensed up on their blasters, but before they could fire, he threw his hands up and shouted, "Hold your fire! Hold, your fire. I surrender."

The droids let their blasters slack, seeming rather confused for lacking facial expression. "You, surrender?" It turned to it's companion, "Since when do Jedi surrender?"

"Since now. You need to take me to your commander, I need to speak with them." 

The second droid said, "I guess we could take him to the general, although he might just kill him."

The first droid responded, "I don't think that's our problem. Come, Jedi. We'll take you to the general." 

Anakin knew the Separatists had many generals, and they had a tendency to promote whoever asked, so logic said it didn't have to be Grievous, but the Force said otherwise. The droid general gave off a very unusual signature, not organic or droid, dead nor alive, Force sensitive or not. That and the bloodthirsty rage that saturated the Force wherever he went created something potent and unique, and he could almost feel traces of it on the battlefield and even lingering on his droid escorts.

They marched him to and through the base, with almost every droid and organic inside stopping to stare at him. It seemed they didn't get Jedi visitors too often. 

As suspected, Grievous was in the command room, full of green data terminals and every series of droid. Anakin knew that with the sheer number of droids in that base, that if Grievous wanted him dead, he wouldn't even have a say in it. Grievous wheezed and began, "So this is why you called me here." 

He rose, black cape trailing behind him as he leaned uncomfortably close to Anakin's face, scrutinizing every detail. "So this is Anakin Skywalker. I expected someone with your reputation to be a little… older." 

Grievous looked different than he remembered in holos, he could have sworn the cape was white on the outside, and one more thing he couldn't quite place. It clicked in his head and he replied, "General Grievous, you're shorter than I expected." 

A mechanical sound came from Grievous, possibly a laugh, which quickly dissolved into hacking coughs. The first battle droid wedged himself in between the two generals and said, "Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker has surrendered to us." 

"Oh, he has? A foolish ploy by the Jedi, I suspect." 

"It's not, the Republic has no clue I'm here. They'll notice I'm missing any time now, and go looking for me." 

"And why should I believe you? Jedi scum." 

"Give it a cycle, my troops will be frantic by nightfall, and your spies should be able to prove that. I'll even give you the location of the camp, if you don't already have it." 

Grievous hesitated, which was better than the lightsaber strike he expected. "Throw him in the detention center, we will see if he tells the truth." 

  
  


Anakin had never been so relieved to be put in a cell. Since he wasn't dead yet, that meant he had a fighting chance. He had been in so many of these prisons, even tied upright in electro-binders, that he could probably escape if he wanted. The only issue was his lightsaber, the droids took it, and it was probably in Grievous' collection by now. 

During the night, he felt Obi-Wan and Ahsoka reach out to him, through their now closed bonds. He didn't enjoy hurting them, but he needed time to establish himself within the CIS, time he wouldn't have if they tracked him through their bonds to the base. 

Grievous returned sometime in the morning, metal hands clasped behind his back and bright light streaming in. Anakin shielded his eyes as Grievous said, "It appears you told the truth, my spies reported that the clones and Jedi searched through the night, and are now in full retreat. But this does not prove you are not a spy yourself." 

Anakin thought fast, "Republic channels will prove it, I have all the codes. All my Republic knowledge is as good as yours."

"Why would a Republic general betray so much? What do you want, General Skywalker?"

"I thought it would be obvious by now, I want to join the Separatist cause." 

That sent Grievous into a long coughing fit. Eventually, Anakin said, "What, are you not accepting new recruits?" 

Grievous finally stopped hacking, "It is not my decision. I will take you to Count Dooku on Raxus Prime. He will make the choice." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neither my novel or Sith Ahsoka are abandoned, and I’ve got some ideas for this one but I have no idea if I’ll actually continue it. As evidenced by all my works, I am a simp for traitors, spies and side-swap AUs.


	2. Dooku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have a bunch of new fics on the way, since I couldn’t possibly commit to one idea at a time lol. I was on vacation for the last two weeks, so this update took longer than I figured. Anyway, enjoy!

Anakin spent the entire trip to Raxus locked in the brig. They kept his hands in binders, but that seemed to be no more than a formality, since he was free to move about in the cell. He had hoped the anxiety nagging at the edge of his mind, about Padme, about meeting Dooku, about Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, even about his lightsaber, would ease now that he was safely on his way, but it didn’t. Being forced to stare at the wall for so long gave him little else to think about.

A B1 battle droid escorted Anakin to his meeting with Dooku. He expected someone or something a bit more formidable, a single B1 couldn’t even stop a determined civilian, but they must have believed him more than he originally thought. Anakin expected to be lead to some type of dramatic lair, maybe a black castle, but was instead taken to an office in what he suspected was the CIS Senate, not too different from Chancellor Palpatine’s. 

Dooku sat at a desk made of dark wood, his back to a large window overlooking the city. There were two matching chairs in front of the desk, and blue Separatist banners on the walls. Dooku gestured at one of the chairs as the droid shut the door, “Please, sit. And before we begin, how is your arm?”

Anakin’s lip twitched, fighting a scowl, “Good, no thanks to you.” 

“Excellent,” Dooku replied with a slight, dark smirk, “Now, I have been informed that you surrendered yourself and claim to be defecting to my cause?”

“That’s pretty much it.” 

“My agents have been monitoring the channels you offered the General, the Jedi consider you to be missing in action. Clones are still running search and rescue on Felucia, but this does not disprove an elaborate plot.”

Anakin crossed his arms, “Are you serious? How much more proof could you  _ possibly  _ need?”

Dooku shot him a look normally reserved for misbehaving children, “What  _ does _ disprove a plot is my contacts in the Republic. Even the Jedi council believes you to be missing or dead. You have successfully fooled the entire Galaxy.”

Anakin felt a wave of relief, followed by the slightest tinge of guilt for Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Dooku continued, “My navy has a great deal of ships, and even General Grievous cannot command them all. If you should agree, you would make a very valuable General.”

He hadn’t expected to be welcomed to the Separatist war effort so easily, but he wasn’t opposed to the idea. If fighting alongside Grievous was what it took to be free of the Jedi Order, then so be it.

“I’ll do it.”

Dooku stood and Anakin followed, “I believe you have someone to meet.”

  
  


——————————————— The previous week—————————————-

Padme had surprisingly little trouble getting to Raxus, with R2 plotting and her flying, she would have to thank Ahsoka for the lessons if she ever got the chance, the trip went off without a hitch. A few days out, she contacted Mina Bonteri, who wasn’t surprised in the slightest, to ask if she could come and stay for a while. Mina graciously agreed, and said she would meet her at the spaceport.

Mina was waiting, just as she said, and drew Padme into a tight hug the moment she was off the ramp. They separated, and with her hand on Padme’s face, she said, “I’m so happy to see you here, safe and sound. Any trouble on the way?”

“No, nothing. I wasn’t even stopped.”

Mina’s smile warmed, “I’m glad, those battle droids stop people for no reason half the time, but with your little announcement, they were probably ordered aside.”

“You’ve seen my speech?”

“Honey,  _ everyone  _ has seen it, it’s been all over the holonet. That, and Naboo’s succession. However did you manage that?”

They began walking to Mina’s speeder, while Padme said, “It wasn’t too difficult, I raised my concerns to the Queen, and it just went from there.”

They had to wait a moment for the droids to catch up, Padme told both of them to lock up the ship, although she really only needed R2 for it, but when they did, it was a quick process getting everyone loaded. Just before taking off, Mina turned and said, “Only you could call that easy.”

Padme settled in nicely, moving her things into the guest room with Lux’s reluctant help, explaining to Mina who she was waiting for, she wished she could have had a holo of Mina’s face when she said “Jedi husband’, and getting the droids settled in. 3PO fussed, no surprise there, but R2 was unflappable as always, already eager to start exploring. Anakin had joked about it before, but Padme really saw what he mean now, he always said that if one were to average the anxiety levels of those two, they would end up with a normal droid. She didn’t worry too much though, they had grown exceptionally close over the years, and surely would be fine as long as they had each other.

On the third day of staying with Mina, they received an unexpected guest. 3PO answered the door, and politely called up the stairs, “Miss Padme, someone is here to see you.”

Hoping for Anakin, she called back, “Coming!”, rushing down the stairs. Preparing what to say, she arrived at the door, and stopped. The visitor was a courier droid, and definitely not Anakin. It began, “Former-senator Amidala, I am a servant of Count Dooku, and humbly bring a message; he wishes to meet with you, personally, at your earliest possible convenience. May I report a time and date?”

Padme could only hope Dooku had good news. She replied, “I can be ready in ten mintutes.”

“I will wait and escort you to my master’s office.”

She rushed through dressing, hiding her blaster and commlink in the secret, inner pockets of her jacket. She turned on the locator in her comm, linked it to R2, and told Mina where she was going. No one would catch her off guard today.

The escort dorid took her to the CIS senate, which although still a fine building, was nowhere near as grand as the one on Coruscant. She was guided to an oddly simple office, where the Count waited. He warmly greeted, “Miss Amidala, welcome to Raxus Secondus.”

Padme politely bowed her head, “Thank you.” 

“I have seen a recording of your address, I have no doubt it will stir many more to our cause. You truly have a gift.”

Growing slightly suspicious, she replied, “Thank you again, I’m flattered.” 

“Of course, but I assume you would appreciate the point of this meeting. I have taken the liberty of contacting Queen Neetenyahu, and upon finding her in agreement, wish to offer you the role of Senator to Naboo. You are the only sensible choice.”

The news blindsided her, “I’m honored, I would appreciate the chance to return to politics.” 

“Shall I inform Her Majesty you accept?”

“Yes, please.”

“It will be done. I will have a droid escort you to your senatorial housing.” 

She rose quietly, eager to see what they had in store for her. Dooku cut her off, “Before you go, there is someone outside who wishes to see you.” 

Surprised, Padme nodded in acknowledgement, and hurried out, the guide droid rushing to follow her. She stepped out into the bright afternoon sun, already surveying the area, until she caught sight of exactly who she hoped to see. She shouted his name, and he spun, expression going from surprise to beaming with joy. Anakin met her and drew her into a tight hug, sweeping her off her feet. Padme melted into his strong arms, overjoyed at no longer having to hide. He lifted her higher, out from his body, and brought her back down. She kissed him, deeply and intimately, reveling in the freedom to do so. 

——-————-———-————————Bonus—————————————————

  
  


Darth Tyrannus turned on his holocomm and knelt before it. When Sidious answered, he looked up and said, “I have received both Skywalker and Senator Amidala.”

“Have they accepted their roles?”

“They have.”

“Very good, my apprentice. I have spoken with the Jedi council, and they believe Skywalker to be dead.”

  
  


“Then this is an excellent opportunity.”

“It is. Ensure Skywalker’s loyalty, and ensure Amidala does not interfere, and everything will proceed according to plan.” 

“It will be done, my master.” 

The comm ended, and Dooku returned to his seat to think. With the most important piece of the puzzle that is the Clone Wars, Dooku realized that, for once, he held the cards. Sidious’ grand plan needed Skywalker to succeed, and with Anakin’s trust, he could stop it. Better yet, Palpatine would be outmatched. With the Chosen One on his side, Palpatine would be invincible no longer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is largely the end of Padme’s role, she’ll still be around of course, but I’m going to be branching out with perspectives. Unless the next Sith Ahsoka update finishes real quick, this will be my last update until I start school again, and I have no idea how that will affect my updates


	3. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I posted five days ago, no I have not been replaced. I'm very happy with how this chapter turned out, and if all goes as planned, I'll have a Jedi Padme/Senator Anakin fic up sometime this month. This chapter is for you, Nightshade_sydneylover150. Enjoy y'all!

Obi-Wan couldn’t believe it. 

Anakin was gone. Truly gone. 

It took them until nightfall to realize what had happened, when Fives came back, scraped and bruised but otherwise unharmed, claiming to have never seen him. They had been concerned then, but when no one could reach his communicator, and neither Jedi could reach him through the Force, then it was near panic. They organized search parties, only to find the shattered remnants of his comm, and nothing else. 

Ahsoka, to her credit, kept her cool through the entire frantic search, guiding the troops as if they were searching for an important data chip, but Obi-Wan could see through her facade. She was just as worried as the rest of them, if not more. 

They called off the search just after dawn. About half of the Separatist fleet had left, and the remaining droids had made no effort to attack. They must have noticed their distraction and left, if they didn’t have Anakin in binders or dead and were satisfied.

As the day dragged on, it was becoming ever more clear they wouldn’t find him. The best they could hope for now was that the Separatists had taken him prisoner, but even that was unlikely. His Force signature had disappeared completely. Not like if he had gone into hyperspace, or even been drugged. Those left a lingering bond, like a thread tied at only one end, but their old bond had snapped, erased as if it had never existed in the first place. Just like his training bond on Naboo.

They were supposed to move in, take the base, but Obi-Wan couldn’t imagine just, continuing on like that. Forcing Ahsoka to immediately take command of the 501st as if Anakin was simply away for now, he couldn’t make himself give the orders. He gave in, and called the  _ Resolute _ for pickup.

No one told Yularen why, but it didn’t take Jedi intuition to figure. He met the weary group in the hangar, as he often did, and before too long, asked the dreaded question. Ahsoka winced as if struck, while Obi-Wan had only looked up from his spot with Ahsoka on the ground, shaking his head. The Admiral understood. He asked, “Shall I inform Coruscant?”

Gathering his meager strength, he said, “No, just set a course. I will speak to the Jedi council. We will go from there.”

He hadn’t realized he would have to until the words were out of his mouth. Yularen nodded, turned sharply and left, not a moment too soon. Obi-Wan couldn’t blame him, who would want to stick around?

Ahsoka had been leaning on him, even her famous strength faltering. Jedi commander or not, she was still fifteen, and going through something no padawan should have to. He shifted gently, bringing her focus back to now, and said, “Ahsoka? You should go rest.”

She replied, humorlessly, “Only if you do too.”

“I will, soon.”

They both knew that wasn’t true, but it satisfied her enough. She nodded slowly and stood, never once meeting his eye. He wouldn’t be surprised if she blamed herself for this whole mess, he knew he did after the fight with Darth Maul, but even that would have to wait. For now, he needed to speak to the council. 

Obi-Wan sequestered himself away in his quarters, everyone giving him a wide berth on the walk over. Rumors spread fast among the clones, no doubt the entire ship had heard by now. Inside, he turned all the lights off, released as much of his turmoil into the Force as he could, and made the call.

Master Yoda answered, a small mercy, asking, “Master Kenobi, a surprise this is. How goes Felucia?”

He respectfully bowed his head, “We had to pull away master. The  _ Resolute  _ and  _ Negotiator _ are on their way to Coruscant as we speak.”

Yoda’s ears shifted, “Oh, go wrong, something did?”

‘ _ Now or never _ .’ He said, “Anakin is missing. We ran searches, and only found his destroyed communicator. Neither Padawan Tano or I are able to sense him.”

“Hmm, troubling, this is, very troubling. Taken by the Separatists, was he?”

“Not that we know of, master. I fear the worst.”

Yoda tapped his cane a few times, “Made the right choice you did, in returning. Discuss this matter more, will shall, when you arrive.”

Obi-Wan bowed again, “Thank you, master.”

“May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi.”

The call ended, and Obi-Wan felt a small flame of anger light deep within him. Referring to Anakin as nothing more than a ‘matter’ couldn’t sum up the scale of what had happened. 

He sighed and released his feelings to the force, for neither the first nor last time today. They would do him no good, and he couldn’t stop yet. Ahsoka still needed him.

Ahsoka sat in her room, cross-legged on her bed, as if meditating, but really staring blankly at the wall. He tapped softly on the open door, not wanting to startle her, to which she responded, deadpan, not looking away from the wall, “Come in.”

He sat next to her on the bed, gently saying, “The council knows.”

Sounding completely unlike herself, she asked, “How did it go?”

“Well, all things considered. Master Yoda will gather the council for a hearing once we reach Coruscant.

She stiffened, so slightly that most would never notice, “Will I have to speak?”   
  
“I suspect not.”

A long moment passed, Ahsoka visibly processing the news. Eventually, she asked, “What’s gonna happen to me?”

He internally recited, ‘ _ There is no emotion, there is peace _ ,’ hoping to find the elusive feeling. “I will finish your training, unless you would prefer Master Plo, or someone else.”

“No, I want you,” she sniffed quietly, and continued in a lighter, but still sad, tone, “I guess you’ll be my master after all.”

“It seems so.”

Another long silence passed, until Ahsoka asked, “How are the boys holding up?”

She certainly was a Jedi, always thinking of others before herself. “I spoke to Cody before we left, he says they’re, coping. The clones will be alright. The question is, young one, how are you?”

She took some time to answer, “It… it doesn’t feel real, not yet at least. I just, can barely imagine Master Skywalker being…”

Ahsoka trailed off, no more willing to finish her sentence than Obi-Wan was to hear it. He urged, “Try to keep some faith, nothing is certain quite yet.”

“Master, do you really believe that? I felt his signature drop, and I know you did too.”

His shoulders dropped, what little conviction he had left, gone. “No, I don’t. There is a chance, but,” He paused, struggling for the words, “I don’t expect to see my old padawan again.”

The bond had well and truly snapped, just like with Qui-Gon. He could think of no other explanation.

She bit her trembling, lower lip, looking down and away as well. He stood, and said, “If you need me, I will be in my quarters.”

Ahsoka nodded, still not meeting his eyes. Just before shutting the door, he added, “Please, don’t hesitate to stop by.”

  
  


Back on Coruscant, he let Ahsoka go straight to her room. If the council acted anything like they did during the Naboo crisis, she would be better off far from the proceedings. If the council truly felt the need to speak to her, she could be summoned. Obi-Wan could handle it for both of them.

Only a few council members, Masters Plo, Windu and Yoda, were actually in attendance, the rest scattered throughout the Outer Rim. Not even the death of the Chosen One could halt the Clone Wars. Master Windu prompted, “What do you have to report, Master Kenobi?

His lip twisted down, so Yoda hadn’t told the council. Opening himself to the Force, he told the story again, for what he could only hope was the last time.

As he concluded, the expressions of the council members ranged from quiet surprise, to no reaction at all. Master Plo, visibly unreadable but radiating worry, asked, “How is Padawan Tano handling this?”

“As well as can be expected. She has requested to complete her training with me.”

Plo said, “That seems wise. Masters?”

Each said ‘aye’, with Windu being the last to agree. Hand on his chin, appearing deep in thought, he said, “Naboo’s secession could be connected to Skywalker’s disappearance, with his, history with the Senator.”

Obi-Wan ignored the suggestion, “My apologies, Naboo has…?”

A brief grimace flashed across Windu’s face, soon replaced by Jedi serenity. He explained, “While you were on Felucia, Naboo, along with several other outlying systems, seceded to the Separatists.”

“When?”

Plo answered, “Almost immediately after your departure.”

He stood, staring like a padawan caught in a lie. “I, this is, unexpected.”

Yoda nodded along, “Unexpected for all, this is.”

Master Plo began, carefully, “Obi-Wan, do you think young Skywalker could have, defected? With Senator Amidala?”

“ _ No _ ,” He replied, more firmly than he intended, “My former padawan would never. He was completely loyal to the Republic, and as I said, he is one with the Force now.”

Windu slightly inclined his head, “Even so, that does not entirely disprove the role of the senator.”

He hated it, but Obi-Wan could almost see Windu’s meaning. Anakin, in a rage, believing the Separatists had stolen Padme from him, throwing himself at Grievous, alone. Head bowed, he admitted, “That is a possibility.”

“It is settled then. Commander Tano will be promoted to general, and take control of the five hundred and first, and be apprenticed to Master Kenobi. All in favor?”

Obi-Wan stood respectfully as the council agreed, feeling almost whiplashed. In a matter of less than an hour, and without a single mention of his status as the Chosen One, Anakin’s life had been wrapped up into a neat package.

On his way back to Ahsoka’s room, he considered if Anakin had been the Chosen One at all.

  
  


\------------Bonus

As the holo of Tyrannus faded, Darth Sidious let his all-knowing persona drop, replaced by a deep scowl. Master Windu had already come by, fully convinced that Skywalker had died on Felucia, as if every Force sensitive alive wouldn’t feel if the Chosen One had died. His first move after had been to contact Tyrannus, and find out exactly what he suspected, Skywalker deserted and followed the damned senator, and threw a spanner in all of his plans.

_ Everything _ hinged on Vader, from Order sixty-six, to continuing the Empire. He needed a powerful enforcer at his side for anything to work, and Dooku, nor his assassin could take the place of the Chosen One at his side, not even Master Yoda or Kenobi could. He had it programmed into his clones for the order. There was no question, he committed to Vader entirely, for almost eleven years now.

What he hadn’t committed so fully to, was the Republic.

The thought nearly made him grimace, but it was, by far, his best option. Skywalker would not return to the Republic, certainly not if he was willing to fake his death to escape, and at least for the beginning, Sidious needed him ready and willing. It would require a complete reversal of the Clone Wars, and risked devastating both sides to the point of being nothing left to rule. He had stacked the odds to the Republic side from the beginning, and would have to find a way to undo eleven years of work, and soon.

The Confederacy itself even posed risk, the largely human citizens of the Republic were used to heavy government, and had almost twenty-thousand years of development behind it, but the CIS had none of that. Their mostly alien citizens, something he supposed he could tolerate, were recent insurgents, living in a nearly lawless, mess of a state. They would be much more difficult to subdue into good, Imperial citizens, and ran a far higher risk of another uprising, possibly right away. For the Confederacy to win the Clone Wars, he would have to subjugate the entire Republic, not just the Jedi, with battle droids, and put the timing, and very existence, of Order sixty-six in question, however, in all truth, he had no choice.

He would build his Empire out of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and start immediately. Time was his true enemy here, more than the Jedi, even, as the longer he waited, the more the risks grew. And he could not fail, for all the Sith that came before, and all the Sith that will come, he could not fail.

Darth Sidious turned to face the Coruscant skyline, hands pressed together in thought. He had much to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so happy with how this one turned out, and I also discovered I love writing Palpatine pov. I'm having a blast with this fic, and I do intend to take it to the end of the Clone Wars. Also, as some of y'all may know, I do a lot of legends/canon crossover. That will be very limited in this one, since I'm a big TCW fan and haven't dealt beyond the Obsession comic run and 03 Clone Wars in legends.
> 
> Partially unrelated, but I just finished Outbound Flight! I liked it better than the OTT, and I love how much carried over into canon. F for Thrass, he was a real one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: minor character death
> 
> Two updates in a day? From me? Even I'm surprised. Inspiration hit and I slapped out 1500 words in like 3 hours, i guess. Enjoy

Anakin would never admit it, but his new sparring partner was really starting to grow on him.

General Grievous was utterly unique in his fighting style, flexible and creative, and as fast as a Jedi. There were no other beings like him, and the way he used a lightsaber reflected it. They didn’t spar like temple Jedi either. There, training was controlled, calm, but facing the legendary Jedi killer, even in an allied spar, was anything but. The only thing that separated their matches from a fight to the death were that they kept the ‘sabers on training mode.

Their blades crackled as they connected, Anakin locking his arms into maintaining the cross as Grievous forced him down with unnatural strength. The light from the General’s mismatched sabers blinded him as he desperately held his own. Grievous arched close enough over top of him to feel the searing heat of the blades, to hear the quiet wheeze of his breath. If Anakin were facing a Jedi, he would be all but beaten, but with the Force on his side alone, he had a few more tricks up his sleeves. 

Anakin summoned the Force, and threw Grievous clear to the other side of the room. The cyborg hit the opposite wall with a resounding clang, but didn’t stay down long. In just barely enough time for Anakin to adjust his stance, Grievous scrambled to his feet and launched, ‘saber reignited and cape flying behind him. As he approached, Anakin could see why so many treated him like a creature from a nightmare.

The three lightsabers clashed in sparks of blue and green, faster and faster, until finally on one cross, Anakin managed to spin one of the General’s blades out of his clawed grip. For barely a second, he watched the hilt fly, a fatal mistake he had made before. He brought his own to Grevious’ neck, stopping less than an inch short. Shaking his sweaty hair out of his face, Anakin deactivated the blade and brought it to his side.

  
  


His first round against the General was tense, and not in a simply competitive way. Many of the upper-ranking Separatists still saw him as a member of the Republic, a simple traitor at best, and a spy at worst. Even with the sheer amount of information he turned over, from locations of bases, to top-secret comm channels, to exact capabilities of Jedi and Clone fighters, even Palpatine’s office code, hadn’t dispelled all the gossip. Truly, having a Jedi in their midst, and a longtime enemy of the Trade Federation, unsettled the hardliners, and neither he nor Padme ever expected that to change. 

He couldn’t deny he brought that with him on his first trip to Serreno, the desire to prove himself. Still, facing down the Jedi-killer, wielding stolen lightsabers, knowing how many Jedi had died at his blade, almost made him reconsider his entire defection. But, Anakin stood strong, and acted like Grievous meant nothing. He could never be a serious Separatist and back down to their leadership. 

That was a little over two months ago now. Padme had settled in well in the Senate and on Raxus, and continued to broadcast galaxy-wide speeches. He hadn’t left Separatist space since Felucia, although he was far from confined. Initially, Separatist intelligence wanted to wring him dry of information and vet him, but now, after he had given all they could ask for, and Republic chatter hadn’t said his name in weeks, he could only guess the holdup. 

Anakin set his water down in a relatively safe spot, although nowhere was completely safe, and asked, “Ready for round three?”

Grievous didn’t respond, which he had come to interpret as agreement. He began to shift into his ready stance, when he heard his comm buzz from across the room. Anakin blew out a sharp breath, and went to pick it up. The message was a summons, to speak with Dooku. He re-clipped his ‘saber to his belt, and nodded at the general, who had stowed his weapons as well.

Dooku’s complex on Serreno was practically a maze, but his half-office, half-throne-room, sat at the near exact center, as to be expected from a man like him. And people used to call  _ him _ a drama queen.

Dooku’s grandfatherly routine unsettled him, less that he did it, and more how genuine it seemed, coming from the reason he had a prosthetic hand. So when Dooku rested his and on his shoulder like an honored grandson, Anakin nearly cringed. He asked, although not really a question, “I take it training with the general goes well?”

Anakin nodded.

“Grievous is a crude instrument, but he has his uses. The Banking Clan was wise to use him as an enforcer.”

Anakin didn’t openly disagree, but as a former enforcer himself, he knew Grievous was capable of much more than what Dooku credited him for. He let him continue, “Still, we must both tolerate him, at least for the time being. I have an assignment for you.” 

That snapped him back to listening.

“The Republic is planning a massive invasion of Boz Pity. Between you leading our starfighters and General Grievous planetside, they won’t stand a chance.” 

Out of everything Anakin could ask, only one question crossed his mind, “When do I leave?”

“Tomorrow at first light. I suggest you return to your quarters. General Grievous is being alerted as we speak.”

  
  


Anakin nodded, and stepped out before Dooku could say anything else. To openly oppose the Republic, even behind the anonymity of a command ship in space, had his heart thrumming with excitement.

In his quarters, a set of clothes lay carefully folded on his bed, likely a new uniform. He picked it up to get a better look, and saw it to be nearly identical to his old Jedi armor, which he knew sat in a drawer somewhere in Padme’s apartment in the capitol, with a blue instead of red undertunic, silver robes, and a blue shoulderplate. He flipped it on it’s side, to see the Confederacy’s symbol, emblazoned in silver, in the Jedi symbol’s place. Standing in front of the mirror, he could almost see himself on the bridge of a warship, or in a starfighter, leading his droids to victory, even over the best of the clones. 

Dawn couldn’t come fast enough.

  
  


The next morning, right on time, he boarded his shuttle, bound for the orbiting fleet. Grievous had both his own shuttle and cruiser, on the off chance something happened to a ship before they arrived. Even being so new, Anakin ranked below only a few in all of the Confederacy in importance. To lose him and Grevious at once would be akin to losing Dooku himself.

When he stepped on the dark bridge, each and every one of the droids stopped their preparations to watch, what he could only assume was the B-1 equivalent of attention. He took his seat in the command chair, the tactical droid at his side, as a tinny voice called out, “Ready for hyperspace.”

The tactical droid nodded, and they made the jump, stars stretching into starlines, and the blue glow of hyperspace filled the bridge. It reflected off the heads of the battle droids, and the computer terminals, lending the room a thoughtful energy, compounded by the silence. With no chatter of clones and officers to fill the bridge, just the quiet clank of droids, even fully battle-ready Republic ships ever got this quiet. Tension hung thick in the air, or maybe just in his mind, as facing the Republic continued to solidify. 

Giving their secrets away hadn’t felt entirely real, he would simply plug R2 in, direct the intelligence droids to the correct files, and go home to Padme at night. Anakin had only thought of the consequences in grand terms up to this point, defeat the Republic and free the galaxy, not the on-the-ground battles it would take. Still, the Confederacy  _ had _ the information, second thoughts or not, he couldn’t make Grievous unlearn the best counters to forms four and five. 

At first, as the swirling patterns collapsed into stars and realspace, there was nothing to see, just his warships and Boz Pity below, but Anakin sensed otherwise. With a flicker of psedomotion, and barely a second after their own arrival, two Jedi cruisers dropped out of hyperspace. With perfect efficiency, faster even than the clones, his gunners sent waves of green blasterfire into the hulls of the Venators. Caught off guard, they attempted to evade, but there was nowhere to go. To turn up was to concede the planet, and to make for orbit was suicide. He commanded, “Launch fighters.”

The vulture droids launched by the thousands, blotting out the stars in waves of durasteel. One of the B-1s at a terminal called, “Republic fighters have launched.”

Anakin reached out through the Force, as he had done countless times before, and through the loud thoughts of the clones, picked out two bright spots in the Force. Both blazed with fear and confusion, although one much more afraid than the other, the calm one on the furthest cruiser, and the other descending rapidly. They must have been caught entirely off guard. He tapped his comm, linked to Grievous’ flagship, “Two Jedi, likely master and padawan, one inbound for Boz Pity.”

The general’s artificial voice crackled back, “Acknowledged, Skywalker.”

The other destroyer began to shift planetward, subtly protecting their dropships. Anakin commanded to his droids, “Keep the Republic cruisers occupied up high, let them think their Jedi slipped through.”

The tactical droid began, “By my calculations, General Grievous will-”

He cut it off, “This is  _ my _ command, and you’ll do what  _ I  _ say. Keep the clones in space.”

A resounding chorus of ‘roger roger’ sounded from the tech bays, and soon, the dark tides of vulture droids began to push deeper into space, drawing the clones with them. It only took one to spot the dropship, and ruin Grievous’ advantage, but from that distance, and while in combat, the odds one actually would were slim. Still, they couldn’t last forever. The droid army’s strength lay in it’s overwhelming numbers, not in overall skill. If the Republic could slim the droid fighters to ever or nearly even odds, they would struggle. They needed to overwhelm the Republic  _ now _ , while they still held the advantage. He called out, “Has Grievous landed yet?”

“No sir.”

Anakin shook his head, and gnashed his teeth. The sooner they could withdraw, the better. As he considered his options, the droid’s quiet chatter rose to an uproar of callouts. He shouted over the clamor, “What’s happening?”

The nearest droid shouted back, “One Republic fighter broke through, it’s rallying their forces!”

“ _ What fighter _ ?”

“A- a Jedi fighter!”   
  


The second Jedi had finally decided to join the fight. At least he knew, for certain, it wasn’t Obi-Wan, or any other council member for that matter. They never took that long. Droids had no real chance against a Force-sensitive pilot, but Anakin could shift those odds. He ordered, “Bring a fighter squad around for a pass, as slow and as close as possible.”

The tactical droid again protested, “But sir-”

He again interrupted, “Can someone get this thing out of here? He’s worse than 3PO.”

The droid didn’t move, but did quiet, hopefully for good. Anakin knew what came next would push him, and would be impossible for a normal Jedi, but after all, he wasn’t called the Chosen One for nothing.

The vulture droids began their pass, and he reached out through the Force, delving deep into each and every one’s code, taking a firm grip on them all. Once certain he had them all under his control, and ignoring his mounting headache, he spread his focus even further, into the wider battle. Anakin caught sense of the Jedi, a signature he thankfully wasn’t familiar with, nearing the dreadnaughts. Only vaguely aware of himself, his hand rose, nearly of its own accord, as he pushed the droids forward. 

They reached the Jedi fighter, and he let the precognition begin in full force. Anakin saw the coming shadow of blue blaster bolts, shredding his left flank, to which he sent the entire side into wild, diverging rolls to avoid. Even with the crossfire from the clones, he flew his droids well outside their programmed limits, opening himself entirely to the Force. A handful of the clone’s shots landed, and he could feel the occasional droid cut out, but not enough to matter. Anakin continued to push the Jedi in ever risker maneuvers, full flips and spirals at top speed, firing endless rounds all the while. 

The pilot flew excellently, he’d give them that. He knew, in this relatively open area, he wouldn’t get a serious hit in, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t change that.

Anakin spread his fighters further apart, but not enough for anything to fit between, and formed a wave. The droids pushed beside and behind the Jedi fighter at full speed, threatening to consume it. The Jedi tried to shake his droids in a series of wild turns up and down, but Anakin didn’t let it work. He drove them through some of the thickest fighting, where both took stray shots and dodged other fighters. The Venators, now damaged and smoking, loomed large in his mind’s eye, as he drove the Jedi closer. By then, he could sense the fear and uncertainty pouring off the pilot. Their movements changed as well, from sharp, smooth and Force-guided, to messy and uncertain. Their precognition had abandoned them, or, they hit the end of the line. 

With a Jedi cruiser ahead, and fighting above and below, the Jedi had nowhere to run. Using only a simple command, a curling of prosthetic fingers, the vulture droids fired in unison, shredding the fuel tanks, and reducing it, and it’s pilot, to a ball of flame.

Anakin pulled his mind from the droids as quickly as he could. When fully returned to his body, he opened his eyes to viewports full of fire. The vulture droids viciously hunted the clones, converging on entire groups, not unlike how he defeated the Jedi. He asked, “Is Grievous done yet?”

A tinny voice called back, “He’s in pursuit, as of last report.”

Anakin sat back again, watching as the battle raged around his command ship. Unexpectedly, the Republic fighters turned tail, almost at once, making for their cruisers, and he could only think of one reason why. He shouted, “Pursue! Don’t let them make the jump!”   
  


Both Dreadnaughts lurched into motion, as all ships raced for the Republic cruisers. The blackness of space again turned bright as all engines were forced to top speed and beyond, and the Dreadnaughts laid down salvos of red fire, raking indiscriminately. The first and second waves of clones made it, but the final wave, mostly mixed with vulture droids, arrived to empty space. The barely-spaceworthy Venators jumped to hyperspace, leaving the remaining clones, and Boz Pity below, to the victorious Separatists. 

The battle droids celebrated among themselves, shouting the Republic’s retreat into all comm channels. Anakin sat back, waves of relief and post-battle exhaustion washing over him. 

He had just won his first battle for the Confederacy.

\-------------------------------bonus--------------------------------

Obi-Wan straightened his cloak one final time as he walked, or more accurately, rushed, to one of the Temple’s numerous war rooms. He hadn’t been on Coruscant since the last meeting with the council, now two, hazy months ago. Since then, he and Ahsoka, his official second padawan, had fought back-to-back-to-back campaigns, with no more than a few days rest between each. 

He stepped inside to see Master Windu, staring at the holo-display, who didn’t acknowledge him until they stood side-by-side. Obi-Wan asked, “You requested me, master?”   
  


“Yes. The siege of Boz Pity was a complete failure. Grievous and two Dreadnaughts came out of hyperspace moments ahead of our ships. We believe they had advance knowledge.”

Although a nearly dead planet, the Separatists had a vital staging area there, one that disrupted their entire Mid-Rim offences for most of the war. Obi-Wan knew the Republic had a great deal invested in this offensive, for it to fail  _ completely _ , could cost them the Kashyyyk sector. He said, “But, the siege was only discussed over Jedi channels.”

Windu nodded grimly, “The Separatists now have access to our most secure channels.”

Something pinged, deep in his memory, and he nearly gasped, “ _ R2 _ .”

“Anakin’s astromech, he almost never wiped it, and-”

“-Senator Amidala took it with her.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, “How much was in that droid’s memory?”

“As much as everything Anakin had access to. It could have the  _ Resolute _ and the  _ Negotiator _ ’s entire computer systems.”   
  


His frown tightened, “And why wasn’t the droid on Felucia?”

Obi-Wan had never considered it, “I’m not certain, but it wasn’t unusual. Senator Amidala regularly used the droid. I doubt it would have made a difference, however. Anakin kept R2-D2 with him on campaigns at all times.”

“I see. We must assume everything is compromised now.” His grip tightened on the edge of the holoterminal, “Vulture droids are already being reprogrammed. The final field report mentioned a group broke off and targeted the Commander.” 

“Did she survive?”

“No, and neither did her padawan. Barely a quarter of the clones returned.”

Obi-Wan had no response, he just stared, trying to process the information. Windu continued, carefully, “Without Skywalker, and with such a large leak, the coming battles will be… difficult.”

His tone clearly said he meant worse than difficult. Since the beginning of the war, a Separatist victory had been considered impossible, but now, it stared them in the face. Obi-Wan had never considered how badly they needed Anakin, not until he and Ahsoka had to do his missions without him. The council had quietly ordered campaigns by difficulty for years, he knew that, and he and Anakin always received the most difficult. The thought embarrassed him, but it had inflated his ego, until now. Now, he saw they only sent him and Ahsoka for support, to keep him on track, or even just for an extra blade. He said, “Ahsoka and I are doing our best, there’s just only so much that can be done.”

“We know. If Depa were to join the Force-”

He cut himself off, but he didn’t need to finish. First with Naheer, and now Anakin, all masters’ minds were on their adult padawans. “I understand.”

“More than most. The Force has not been kind with you,” He took a deep breath, “Commander Ponds and I will provide you reinforcements, whenever needed.”

Obi-Wan bowed, and for a moment, he could see the burden Windu carried, visible in the form of tension in his shoulders, new lines around his eyes, and dark bags beneath them. “Thank you, master. This war isn’t lost yet.”

Windu met his eyes, jaw set, “No, not yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline Note: I doubt anyone cares, but this invasion is not the same one from ROTS. This fic takes place 21-20 BBY
> 
> Blessed be, and happy Yule

**Author's Note:**

> If y'all have any things you'd like to see in this fic, drop them in the comments!


End file.
